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The raise disappeared when the 'clean' CR was proposed. When the CR is adopted on or about 3 January, the legislation including the 1.9% has got to be re-introduced - it has elapsed with the end of the Congressional session. The Senate sponsors have indicated that it will be included, possibly retro-actively.

As for TSPs, I'm just hoping we don't again end up as the Treasury's wallet. Given the way the administration is functioning there's no guarantee of that.

President Trump has formally decreed (?) that there will be no pay raise for 2019.

The article I read on federalnewsnetwork.com said there was still a possibility that Congress could authorize a retroactive pay raise... and the Dems will take over the House... the Senate already voted for a pay raise... so it all sounds plausible.

I don't think it was ever necessary to clean up this kind of mess before.

This is hardly the first time something like this has happened. However, these shutdowns and pay freezes have been more commonplace the past few years. Meaning like the past ten years or so. They have been zero raises for feds many times, not to mention miniscule raises at other times.

Incidentally:

Quote:

Some FedSmith readers are wondering about the possibility of a retroactive pay raise for 2019. In other words, if the government shutdown continues and no annual pay raise for the federal workforce has been approved, can Congress pass legislation authorizing a retroactive pay raise? Has it ever been done before?

A retroactive pay raise has happened before. On January 23, 2004, a FedSmith article read:

Quote:

Can a 2019 Pay Raise Be Applied Retroactively? The omnibus spending bill has been passed by the Senate. This bill contains a 4.1% pay raise for federal employees (for 2004). The raise will be retroactive to January 1st. Most federal employees received a portion of the raise as of January 1st. The bill now goes to President Bush for signature.

This is the second year that federal employees have received a pay raise of 4.1% and the second year in a row that the raise has been delayed and made retroactive to January 1st. Federal employees have received an annual pay raise of between 2-5% each year since 1987.

So it looks like in both 2003 and 2004, the pay raise was applied retroactively.

As far as 4.1% goes... well...

Edited by userSunday, December 30, 2018 5:49:12 PM(UTC)
| Reason: Found a story after my original post

Now it appears that a 1.9% pay raise may be included in the agreement to prevent another shutdown... I guess that is the funding bill? Not sure what to call it. Looks like this is different from the legislation in the House and Senate which called for a 2.6% raise.

Yes, the 1.9% pay raise would be included in the bundled appropriations bill for the remaining unfunded agencies. The bill for the 2.6% raise was amended before it passed the House to remove the retroactive provision, so I'm pessimistic about the 1.9% being retroactive. But it still beats no pay raise at all.

And according to McConnell the bundled appropriations bill is to be signed today or tomorrow, and will include the 1.9%. There is a trick (isn't there always?). It's not going to be a uniformly applied 1.9%, but rather dependent on locality and how far out of sync the pay is. DC/Baltimore is projected to get 2.3% or so. AK/HI will probably get the traditional extra $1.50 a year. New York, LA, SF - around 2%

Last I heard (and this could have been the radio equivalent of 'clickbait') there is still a possibility that they could opt for an extended continuing resolution... they did not go into a lot of detail but I rather got the impression that it might not include the pay raise and a bunch of other things, but rather be a continuation of last year's budget.

Personally I think another massive CR is unlikely but they typically don't consult me on these things :(

UPDATE: Federal News Network (formerly Federal News Radio) is reporting that the pay raise will be retroactive. There will be a 1.4% across-the-board raise and a 0.5% increase in locality pay. Did not mention the locality pay being targeted like GWPDA said but I think that's how it worked last year.

UPDATED UPDATE: An article on Fedsmith talks about an "average" 1.9% pay raise, which is how it played out last year. The article noted that in 2018, the Wash DC locality area ended up with a 2.29% raise while the "Rest of US" got 1.67%. So I suppose it remains to be seen exactly who will get what... and when. But it says it is retroactive to the first pay period that started in 2019 which was back on 6 Jan.

The bill has been signed! (Or apparently not. They changed the article after I posted it to say Trump has said he'll sign.) The 1.9% raise is retroactive to the first pay period of the year! The new locality pay areas will go into effect! Federal News Network article: https://federalnewsnetwo...t-retroactive-pay-raise/

OPM is going to have to issue updated guidance, so I'd be surprised if it showed up on next week's checks. But hopefully it will be on the following one.

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